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A Miami woman spoke in front of a special Senate Committee Hearing in Washington D.C. Wednesday afternoon. Amanda Butler said she’s trying to make it safer for the thousands of people who go on board cruise ships every year. NBC 6's Dan Krauth reports. (Published Wednesday, July 23, 2014)

A Miami woman spoke in front of a special Senate Committee Hearing in Washington D.C. Wednesday afternoon. Amanda Butler said she’s trying to make it safer for the thousands of people who go on board cruise ships every year.

“What my family went through, no one deserves to go through that,” said Butler.

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She was one of four victims who testified Wednesday to try and strengthen safety regulations onboard cruise ships nationwide.

“It’s not about human life anymore for larger corporations, its’ the bottom line, it’s a dollar bill,” said Butler.

The Cruise Lines International Association, the group representing the cruise corporations, released a statement shortly after the hearing. A spokesperson said:

“Today’s hearing presented a distorted picture of an industry that has an exceptional guest care and safety record. More than 22 million cruise passengers every year enjoy exceptional vacation value and a lifetime of positive memories, as demonstrated by a more than 90% customer satisfaction rate and 70% repeat cruisers. The cruise industry is already heavily regulated. Adding a new layer of federal regulation and bureaucracy at the expense of taxpayers, cruise lines and cruise passengers is both unjustified and unnecessary. The CPPA is a solution in search of a problem.”